Nurses At Naas General Hospital To Take Industrial Action

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says this is over a lack of action on unsafe staffing levels

Nurses at Naas General Hospital will begin industrial action on February 9th.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says this is over a lack of action on unsafe staffing levels.

The issue has led to clinical areas becoming unsafe, unsustainable and non-compliant with standards, according to the union.

It says members feel the risks posed to patients are too significant and concerns are not being addressed.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Karen McCann said:

“INMO members in Naas General Hospital believe it has become increasingly unacceptable and unsafe that HSE management continue to disregard persistent and unresolved staffing deficits, while service expansion proceeds without adequate resourcing, resulting in significant clinical risk.

“Despite repeated efforts to highlight these clinical risk concerns, no substantive action has been taken to address the unsafe staffing levels currently impacting patient safety, staff wellbeing, and compliance with agreed safe staffing frameworks.

“Current staffing levels across multiple clinical areas are unsafe, unsustainable, and non-compliant with professional standards. The ongoing reliance on agency, overtime, and redeployment places both patient safety and staff wellbeing at significant risk. There are significant staffing deficits across the Emergency Department, 22% less than the recommended number of 62.5 whole-time equivalents which is based on the 2022 Safe Staffing Framework. Emergency Department attendances have increased from 29,592 in 2022 to 37,654 in 2025, approximately 27%.

“Our members are very disappointed that it has come to this, but unfortunately, they feel the risks being posed to patients due to ongoing understaffing problems have become too significant and that their concerns are not being taken seriously.

“Naas General Hospital has been consistently overcrowded, with over 5,004 patients cared for on trolleys since July 2024. Attendances at the Emergency Department in Naas have increased significantly, with over 37,000 presentations in 2025, without a corresponding increase in staffing or bed capacity.

“The decision to ballot for industrial action has not been made lightly, but it reflects the deep frustration, exhaustion, and burnout among nursing staff who have continued to deliver high-quality care despite ongoing and unresolved staffing crises. Staffing deficits are now directly impacting the hospital’s ability to maintain safe, effective, and sustainable service delivery.”